FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest

FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest yesterday urged officials at the Department of Statistics to adjust the line of questioning used in its biannual unemployment survey “accordingly,” claiming the survey does not differentiate between temporary and long-term employment status.

Last week, the Department of Statistics announced a 2.1 per cent decline in the national unemployment rate, with officials again for the second consecutive year pointing to Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival as a major contributing factor.

The East Grand Bahama MP said respondents to the survey, some who were temporarily employed when questioned, were being “misguided” into identifying themselves as employed despite knowing the temporary status of their line of work.

“The questions asked in those surveys do not specify whether that job is temporary or permanent, all it asks is whether that person is working or not. A person employed in May, through Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival would automatically say ‘Yes, I am employed,’” he said.

He added: “(Respondents) know full well that in a couple of weeks of answering those question their jobs will be gone, but the questions are worded in a way to reflect the overall picture. They are worded in a way to present a high point that the government has used for the past two years to sell a particular notion - jobs are being had.”

The Department of Statistics carries out its survey in late April to early May and then again in November

Most recently, when officials surveyed country’s job market, they found a decrease in the unemployment rate, which fell from 14.8 per cent last November to 12.7 per cent in May.

A survey conducted in the May 2015 survey showed that at that time, the national unemployment rate fell by 3.7 per cent, from 15.7 per cent in November 2014 to 12 per cent in May 2015.

However, there was a major spike in unemployment between May 2015 and November 2015 - rising by 2.8 per cent in that six-month window.

Mr. Turnquest told The Tribune that he “fully expects” a similar jump again in the Fall of 2016, contending that once the survey is carried out again later this year statistics will show a spike in unemployment.

“The department has again given us figures that we can see through. The question has to come to mind on whether we should accept these numbers. I am not attempting to devalue the work done by the Department of Statistics at all, but at the same time we see that these numbers aren’t doing a proper job of telling the complete story about our country’s unemployment figures.

“I mean it is no surprise why we see a decrease in May around carnival time and increase in November when temporary jobs start to phase out. The proof is right there, it is up to us to perceive it how we may,” he said.

Friday’s report also stated that youth unemployment, which covers people 15 to 24 years old, is higher than any other area. However, this category declined from the rate of 30 per cent recorded in November 2015 to 25.8 per cent in May.

In addition to jobs provided by Junkanoo Carnival, the survey results said the 2.1 per cent decrease in the unemployment rate was influenced by jobs in the manufacturing sector increasing by 26 per cent.

This sector accounts for four per cent of total employment, the department said. The results of the survey also indicated that since November 2015, the labour force grew by 1.7 per cent and now totals 215,880 persons.

During a press conference on Friday, officials at the Department of Statistics suggested that a month-to-month comparison, from May 2015 to May 2016, would probably be needed to get a more accurate depiction of the unemployment rate.

When pressed by reporters on the possibility of moving the survey date from May to another month in which temporary jobs were less of a factor, officials indicated that such a move wasn’t likely.

Statistics’ Deputy Director Leona Wilson stated: “The original survey was always in May. I can think about it (changing the date), but I would really be reluctant to changing it.”

By Ricardo Wells, Tribune Staff Reporter

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